Along with hearing the announcement about the Verizon iPhone this morning, we’ve learned that Apple’s iPad — which has been marketed by Verizon for some time — will now actually be able to connect directly to the Verizon network.

This is obvious, but it’s still nice to hear it from the source itself.

We realize that connecting the device to the network sounds like a no-brainer. However, for the past few months, folks with Verizon iPads have had to buy separate external Verizon MiFi devices in order to connect when Wi-Fi wasn’t available.

Now, as Apple’s exclusivity with AT&T comes to a close, the iPad will be able to connect directly to Verizon’s 3G — and who knows, perhaps even its 4G LTE — network. The latter would bring it to parity with Motorola’s Xoom, a new Android-powered tablet recently announced at CES.

iPads with embedded Verizon chips will be coming soon; however, an exact release date hasn’t yet been set.

The iPad first came to Verizon in October 2010. Although connecting to the network when Wi-Fi wasn’t present did require a bundled MiFi, costs were comparable and data plans were better than what AT&T customers were getting.

According to an unnamed source, Verizon will not allow employees to carry the iPhone 4 on their employee accounts. Furthermore, Verizon is actually taking the extra step and informing employees that if they do get an iPhone 4 and add it to their employee account, the number will be blacklisted from the account altogether. When asked for more details, the source was unable to provide any more, as they were not told much more.

The employees were also not given a date as to when they would be able to add the flagship device for Verizon’s network to their employee accounts. It seems odd that Verizon wouldn’t want the handset to be in employee’s hands, so that they could talk to customers about it. It would not be hard to imagine that some Verizon employees have never used the device, and having only one or two, maybe three demo models floating around a store wouldn’t seem good enough preparation for a major launch like this.

via Verizon Employees Not Allowed to Get iPhone 4 – SlashGear.

Contrary to popular belief, Windows Phone 7 is far from deceased.  After numerous speculations from just about every tech firm on the web, Microsoft has finally announced official numbers in regards to Windows Phone 7.  As it turns out, over 1.5 million Windows Phones have been shipped to retailers in the first six weeks of the system’s availability.  Previous rumours speculated that Microsoft had sold fewer than forty thousand units, leading many to start writing Windows Phone 7′s obituary.  In addition to the hardware announcement, Microsoft also noted that over 4,000 apps have been released in the Windows Phone Marketplace, which indicates stronger growth than both Apple and Google’s own app stores in their first 6 weeks of availability.  Currently, Microsoft also claims that over 15,000 developers have registered to release apps on the Marketplace – a good indication that the app catalog will continue to increase. 

Achim Berg, Vice President of Business and Marketing for Windows Phone, stated:

“We introduced a new platform with Windows Phone 7, and when you do that it takes time to educate partners and consumers on what you’re delivering, and drive awareness and interest in your new offering. We’re comfortable with where we are, and we are here for the long run; Windows Phone 7 is just the beginning.”

Looking towards the future, analysts expect that Microsoft will devote a large portion of their CES keynote presentation to Windows Phone.  Microsoft has previously stated that the Copy & Paste feature would be added to Windows Phone 7 in January, so many predict that the first major update will be announced at CES, which will be held January 6-9.  Other rumoured features that might be added in this update are HTML5 and an updated version of Silverlight.  Even further down the road we expect Microsoft to deliver the next big Windows Phone 7 update at the Mobile World Congress event, which is held in February in Barcelona.

With Sprint and Verizon touting their 4G advancements, it was only natural for AT&T to play catch up.  This week, AT&T and FLO TV announced an agreement for the transfer of the 700MHz wireless spectrum.  This frequency will be taken over by AT&T, which they claim covers over 300 million Americans.  It is presumed that this acquisition’s main purpose is to bolster AT&T’s upcoming LTE 4G plans.  As in the title of this article, the deal will cost a whopping $1.925 Billion!  The new frequency will require new devices to take advantage of it, because the current AT&T frequencies are 850MHz and 1900MHz.  AT&T has not announced when their LTE 4G network will be up and running, but with both CES 2011 and MWC 2011 coming up, we may see an announcement from AT&T.

Microsoft has taken a lot of flack from almost everyone regarding their Internet Explorer web browser, but they are trying to change that.  Recently, NSS Labs declared Internet Explorer 9, which is still in the beta phase, the most secure web browser, and by a very wide margin.  Over an eleven day test, NSS Labs compiled a list of 600 confirmed threats and put them up against Internet Explorer 9, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera.  The results?  Internet Explorer 9 blocked 99%, Firefox blocked 19%, Safari blocked 11%, and Chrome blocked 6%.  Oh, you’re wondering about Opera - it blocked 0%.  The numbers can speak for themselves; these are not margins of 1-5%, the closest margin was a difference of 80%!  Microsoft has truly lived up to their self-established standards (their ad campaign touted IE as the most secure).  All of the IE haters can now stop hating, because not only is IE9 the safest,but it has also been proved as one of the fastest with its bevy of hardware-acceleration features.

Go here for our top 5 Black Friday Shopping Tips.

Below is a list of deals for Black Friday, at various retailers.  This is source from an

Laptops

The Inexpensive: eMachines eME528-2325 fromWalmart. This 15.6 inch laptop may not be a top of the line machine, but for $199 it doesn’t need to be. You can save $50 on this laptop from Walmart on Black Friday.

Sony Vaio VGN-NW26SF from Best Buy. This is a great laptop at a great price, and includes plenty of extras. This laptop comes with headphones, a built in Blu-ray player, and the movie “Taking of Pelham 1,2,3. Best Buy says you save $180.

HP G71-329wm Laptop – 4GB of memory, 320 GB hardrive, and Windows 7 Premium 64-bit make this laptop a steal at $398 from Walmart.

Blu-Ray Players

Vizio’s VBR110 from Costco. This Blu-ray player is BD-Live enabled with

an ethernet connection, and only costs $140 during Costco’s Black Friday sale. You can get the VizioVBR110 11/27/09 to 11/29/09, while supplies last.

Sony BDPS370 Blu-ray player from Target and Best Buy. The Sony BDPS370 typically sells for $179. If you shop at Target or Best Buy, you can pick it up for $99 while supplies last.

TVs

The small: Emerson 32-inch LCD HDTV. This basic TV may not be ideal for hosting Super Bowl parties, but makes a perfect addition to guest rooms.Walmart’s Black Friday sale has this TV at $199.

The Bigger: Westinghouse VR-4085DF 40-inch LCD TV. If you go to Sears during Black Friday, you can save $200 on this TV.

The Biggest: Samsung 720p plasma 50-inch from Sears. Sears has this huge TV  for $699.99  during Sears’ 2010 Black Friday sale.

The Best: If you’re looking for a top of the line TV, Costco has a Vizio 55-inch TruLED LCD TV with built in wifi for $1499. An expensive TV, but still about $300 in savings.

eReaders

Nook Wifi from Best Buy. Best Buy is knocking $50 off of the Nook during Black Friday.

Video Game Consoles

Playstation 3: Walmart is selling the 160 GB Playstation 3 this year for just$299. Walmart’s Door Buster deal includes Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Medal of Honor Limited Edition. Amazon is selling the 120GB model for the same price. But Amazon’s model comes with Infamous and Kill Zone.

Cameras and Camcorders

Canon Vixia HF20 camcorder. Best Buy has this highly rated camcorder for $120 below retail. Best Buy also has a lot of other camcorders on sale for Black Friday.

Canon Powershot SD1200 IS 10-megapixel camera. Save $50 on this Camera from Best Buy, and save even more when you get it bundled with an extra battery or leather case.

Sony's banner on the desktop software touting the not-so-distant release of their mobile apps.

Finally Sony is catching up – the Sony Reader software will soon be available on the iPhone and Android. Sony’s PC software has a new page devoted to the new Apps, with the giant banner reading “Available in December.” This is exciting news for anybody who currently uses the Sony Reader, as they will now be able to transfer their entire library of eBooks and eNewspapers to their smartphone. Sony touts that the mobile apps will have all the same functionality as the desktop software, which includes access to your entire library, access to the Reader Store where one can purchase new eBooks wirelessly, as well as the ability to create bookmarks, highlighting, and annotations. Furthermore, one may still adjust the font size of the eBooks just as they would on the normal Sony Reader. 

Here are three screenshots of the new Reader App, which are from the Apple iOS 4 version. From left to right, pictured is the Reader Storefront, the Reader Library, and a page in an eBook.

This is undoubtedly exciting news for current users of Sony’s Reader, but will this affect the eReader war?  In my opinion, this simply isn’t enough to draw potential consumers to Sony’s option.  Consumers already expect this feature, being as Amazon and Barnes & Noble have had it for so long.  What Sony needs to do is drop prices and advertise.  Currently, the cheapest Sony Reader is the Pocket Edition, but at $149.99 (MSRP is $179.99 but Sony has a temporary price reduction) it is still too expensive considering that it only has a 5″ eInk touchscreen and lacks any sort of wireless connectivity.  The step-up Reader Touch Edition, has a 6″ eInk touchscreen and chrome accents, but other than that it shares the same features as the pocket Edition; it is currently selling for $199.99 (MSRP is $229.99).  Lastly, the high-end Reader Daily Edition is the best option with a 7″ eInk touchscreen with both WiFi and free 3G connectivity, and it currently sells for $249.99 (MSRP is $299.99).  I would recommend a Sony Reader to anyone, but one does need to take into account all the pros and cons to see which is the best option.

All Facebook needs to do is pay the issue fee within three months of today and the “Face” trademark will be issued and be published in the official USPTO gazette and everything.

For all intents and purposes today’s status update bodes well for Facebook’s hold over “Face” usages in “Telecommunication services, namely, providing online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users in the field of general interest and concerning social and entertainment subject matter, none primarily featuring or relating to motoring or to cars.”

While it seems so bizarre that a company should have the right to trademark a word as common as “Face” apparently the USPTO isn’t at all disturbed (what’s with the “related to motoring or cars” restrictions?). Something tells me Facebook won’t have any problem forking over the cash.

Aside from the issue fee, Facebook will have to file a Statement of Use and use the trademark on its own in commerce before it has actual legal claim over the word “Face.” Right now it only uses the word “Face” in conjunction with “book,” but that will have to change if it wants to have any right to the trademark.

You’re watching Introducing Project Phoenix by AOL Mail. This video didn’t work at the time of publishing, so here’s to hoping it works when you’re watching it!

Unfortunately (for users), the full launch of Phoenix isn’t expected to occur until 2011. The current limited beta test—applicable to a fraction of the site’s 30.8 million Webmail users—is a zippy new rehash that focuses on tighter integration with external email clients splashed across an almost Gmail-like interface.

That’s right. AOL is allowing its users to essentially “import” their accounts from Yahoo, Gmail, and other e-mail services. The feature officially rolls out tomorrow, but it’s a gamble that stacks all the chips on the service’s interface and features—the company presumes that its users carry (and use) other e-mail accounts across rival clients, and it hopes that you’ll be swayed enough to want to make AOL your default hub for all.

But that’s not all on the integration front. A kind of shortcut bar lives above your main Inbox listing, which allows you to quickly fire off e-mails, instant messages, Facebook updates, and Twitter updates directly from your Webmail. A sidebar on the right side of your inbox delivers up a thumbnail-based photo gallery of all the images currently sitting in your inbox for quick access, but it also transforms into a Mapquest tool (with directions) whenever Phoenix notices addresses in a given message.

Borrowing desktop clients, Phoenix allows you to set up your inbox in one of three viewing modes: compact, a standard “one e-mail, one line” approach that should be familiar to anyone with a computer by now; expanded, which gives you a few additional lines of text for previewing a message before you actually go to read the whole thing; and a “reading pane” option, which displays the entire message in an preview window below a standard list of emails.

World of Warcraft players take note—AOL is also offering up additional domain names for registering an e-mail address if the default “@aol” designation makes your eyes roll. You can now snag names at ygm.com, games.com, wow.com, and love.com. Insert a land rush for witty email addresses here.

If the overhaul to its service seems too little, too late approach in the face of some pretty powerful competition, it’s important to take note that webmail access powers roughly 45 percent of all of the company’s pageviews on aol.com.  Go to http://pheonix.aol.com to apply for an invitation to the private beta.  We’ve applied for our Pheonix beta invite, but we’re not holding our breath until it’s arrival.

The Internet was abuzz this morning of a rumoured pair of new devices from Sony Ericsson.  The most interesteing part is that these two devices, supposedly named the “X7″ and the “X7 mini,” run Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 OS.   A video of two supposed specification sheets was uploaded to YouTube, prompting speculation from most major tech blogs.  The X7 supposedly has a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen with 480×800-pixel WVGA resolution, a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, an 8.1 megapixel camera, a HDMI output, and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.  The X7 mini supposedly has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, a 1GHz processor, a 10.1-megapixel camera, 720p video recording, 3x optical zoom and a xenon flash. The video also mentions noise-cancellation headphones, to come bundled with the device (more on this statement later).

First, let’s talk about the positive.  Forty thousand units is not horrible when one considered how entrenched the competition is.  Apple reportedly activates 250,000 new iPhones per day.  Android is the current market leader with an estimated 25% of the world-wide market (remember overseas Symbian is still king).  Furthermore, when the iPhone launched, one must consider the fact that there was nothing else like it.  It was truly the first device to make smartphones mainstream (BlackBerry was used for business users but not even as widely as they are today).  The iPhone not only helped Apple and its exclusive carrier, AT&T, but as a result it brought consumer interest to the smartphone market in general.  Then when Android came along, it started on T-Mobile with the G1, and then quickly went to Verizon with Motorola’s Droid.  Neither of those carriers had any smartphone offerings besides BlackBerry, so Android dominated on both Verizon and T-Mobile, thus capturing a large market share.  Now that Windows Phone 7 has finally arrived, Apple and Google have had plenty of time to sell many more units and update their systems.  So 40,000 is not bad when thinking about it in that regard.  And there’s no mistaking it – there’s still a lot of work to be done in Redmond.

Now let’s look at the flip side.  Microsoft launched a massive advertising campaign for Windows Phone 7 across TV and the Internet.  Advertisements can be found almost everywhere – I see them at least once a day on TV and on several websites I often visit.  Microsoft has also started a Twitter campaign with #windowsphone. This initiative reportedly cost Microsoft $500 million.  Now that is a big number.  After pondering about that figure, then 40,000 units seems anemic.  $500 million to only sell 40,000?  Mathematically speaking, that is not very efficient.  And to make matters even more difficult, Windows Phone 7 still lacks many features that the competition has – HTML5, Flash, Copy and Paste, Multitasking, and Tethering support.

So in conclusion, my opinion is that we will simply need to wait and see.  I am hopeful that Microsoft will pull this one off, especially after its embarrassing KIN Phone disaster.  My inclination tells me that Microsoft won’t let it become a failure, but on the other hand I am subconsciously nervous.  I am personally interested in upgrading to Windows Phone 7; I have been a devout Windows Mobile user for 3 years and am contemplating if it makes sense to jump on the Windows Phone 7 bandwagon.  My advice to anyone thinking about maybe switching to Windows Phone is simply to go to AT&T or T-Mobile and check out the devices for yourself.

A new concept in Web Browsers was released today called Rockmelt. The concept is to add a social aspect to browsing by aggregating your favorite/most visited sites and social networks into the sidebars for easy access. I apparently have been invited to try but they must be jammed up because they say I will not get my confirmation for a couple of days. And, by the way, you have to follow them on Facebook yo get the invite. As soon as I am able to try it, I will supply more info. Until then, here is the video. Enjoy:

Starting in the US, AT&T is offering a free month of Microsoft’s Zune Pass subscription service for all customers who buy a Windows Phone 7 handset. Microsoft now offers a 14-day public trial for all customers and is adding in two extra weeks to sweeten the deal for AT&T customers. The subscription music service offers unlimited downloads for the life of the service and is available for $15 per month or $45 for 3-months. Zune Pass subscribers are also allowed to keep 10 songs per month.

Microsoft even has its own incentives for prospective Windows Phone buyers. If you sign up for Windows Phone pre-order notifications and eventually buy a phone, you are eligible for three months of free Zune service courtesy of Microsoft.

In other countries such as  Austria and Spain, the perks are even better.Customers of Austria-based A1 will receive a free Xbox 360 if they buy a Windows Phone handset with a two-year contract. A1 is being extra generous and allowing customers to receive two new Xbox 360 consoles in exchange for signing up for two new lines of service. The carrier is also offering an Xbox 360 raffle and will give away consoles to 360 lucky customers who pre-ordered a Windows Phone.

Customers in Spain looking for a free Xbox 360 should look no further than Movistar’s Central Madrid Store. The wireless carrier is giving away an Xbox 360 console to the first 100 customers to buy a Windows Phone handset on October 21st. This promotion is limited to just one store, however.

Now why would Microsoft need such incentives to sell sucjh a reportedly great phone, made to rival iPhone which has the top sales at present and no incentives?

“[W]e’re launching one-time passwords to make it safer to use public computers in places like hotels, cafes or airports,” said Facebook product manager Jake Brill in a blog post. “If you have any concerns about security of the computer you’re using while accessing Facebook, we can text you a one-time password to use instead of your regular password.”

According to a survey released on Tuesday by Internet security company Webroot there are inherent problems with passwords that most of us use every day:

The company found that 47% of Facebook users, among the over 2,500 people surveyed, use their Facebook password for other online sites and 62% of Facebook users never change their passwords. It also found that only 16% of respondents bother to create passwords longer than 10 characters and that 41% of respondents have shared passwords with at least one person over the past year.

Facebook’s decision to offer disposable passwords at least provides stronger security for those who want to make the effort. In a few weeks, as part of a gradual roll-out, Facebook users will be able to text “otp” to 32665 on a mobile phone and immediately receive a password that will work one time and will expire in 20 minutes.

Facebook is also providing users with an overview of recent login activity under the Account Security section of their Account Settings page. This recent login list offers a way to see whether one’s account has been accessed from an unexpected location. It also offers the ability to remotely close sessions that one may have forgotten to terminate, such as when one logs into Facebook through a friend’s phone.

Facebook is not alone in addressing cloud security concerns. Google provides users with Gmail session activity information and last month added two-step verification to Google Apps Premiere, Government, and Education edition users.

2. Facebook Teams With Bing

Facebook and Microsoft took their partnership a step further today by expanding Facebook’s integration with Bing. Why Microsoft rather than Google? Microsoft and Facebook have a preexisting relationship (Microsoft invested in Facebook, and the companies have previously worked together on search and ads), but Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said there’s a reason he likes working with Bing: It’s an underdog.

According to the site VentureBeat:
That’s actually a general rule with Facebook’s platform strategy, Zuckerberg said — when choosing its closest partners, Facebook prefers working with “really scrappy” underdogs. Those underdogs are more likely to understand the potential to “go deep” with Facebook’s social features. For example, much of the success on Facebook’s applications platform has come from games, and social gaming was led by startups like Zynga, not established game companies.

It’s strange to hear Microsoft described as scrappy, but in search it is indeed an underdog against Google. That’s not just a matter of marketshare, either — whenever I’ve spoken to Bing team members, they really do seem more humble and open to new ideas than other Microsoft employees.

3. Facebook Commenting with Votes

Facebook has made a number of upgrades to their comments plugin. The changes include a new voting feature, the inclusion of a user’s network (their work place or location), as well as the percentage of likes a comment gets on a thread, and most significantly: threaded comments.

Here is a description f each of the four core upgrades:

1. User network – While Facebook has technically removed the “networks” feature, comments will now display a user’s location, school they are attending, or company that they are a part of depending on what details they’ve entered in their profile.
2. Comment voting – Another significant feature is comment voting. While it doesn’t appear as though comments are prioritized, users can provide feedback and rate a comment as either positive or negative. That vote is then used to calculate the next feature.
3. Feedback rating & comment count – The feedback rating is the percentage of votes that were positive. If a comment received no feedback, there won’t be a rating. Unfortunately we have yet to determine whether or not this will become a global feedback rating as a mechanism for preventing spam, however it’s pretty obvious that having a higher feedback rating is a good thing. Additionally, a comment count will show how many comments a user has contributed to a thread
4. Threaded comments – This is huge! As far as we can remember, comments were previously displayed in a single thread, however now you reply to specific comments to create sub-conversations.

Their has been much speculation about what there is in store for iphone and verizon and iPad getting iOS4 but this event seems to be purely centered around OSX .
There is a hint of what is to come on the inivte as well. The Lion most probably indicates a new OS7 as Apple has used all big cats-Leopard, Tiger, Panther, Jaguar, Puma, Cheetah, and Kodiak for their previous Operating Systems. And Then there is the aluminum(?) laptop case in the foreground?

Over at CNET, Dan Ackerman thinks the Mac event could be a showcase for a new MacBook Air.

If there’s one product that’s positively screaming for an update, it’s Apple’s cult favorite ultrathin 13-inch laptop,” Ackerman write. “Except for a few minor component updates, it’s essentially the same machine as originally introduced in 2008.” Still, the team at CNET offers at least one reservation: “In the era of sub-$500 laptops and tablets, is a high-end status symbol machine really going to be a top priority?

According to Apple Insider:
Persistent rumors out of the Far East have suggested Apple is gearing up to overhaul the MacBook Air line with a newly designed 11.6-inch display, creating a more aggressively priced notebook for students and the business traveler. Those reports claim that Apple plans to ship around a half-million units before the end of the 2010 calendar year. The current MacBook Air sports a larger 13.3-inch display.

Rumors of a MacBook Air with an 11.6-inch display first cropped up in July. It was said the redesigned hardware will be even slimmer and lighter, and will be powered by an Intel Core i-series ultra-low voltage processor.

There’s also been a mixture of chatter regarding a much cheaper, thinner 11.6-inch Apple notebook that would weigh as little as 2.7 pounds due to the possibility of new carbon fiber unibody construction, though AppleInsider cannot confirm any of those reports with any degree of certainty, nor can it confirm somewhat related rumors that such a model would coincide with Apple’s reported plans to adopt the latest microprocessors from AMD into some of its Mac models. Instead, those reports are highlighted here simply for the sake of completeness.

Meanwhile, Larry Dignan of ZDNet thinks that Apple could be ready to introduce the FaceTime platform – which is currently available on the iPhone 4 and the newest iPod Touch – to the MacBook line.

“Perhaps it’s time to meet the Mac as video conferencing unit,” Dignan writes.

There is also some speculation about iLife getting kicked up a notch or maybe two. The last update was in 2009. Could there be an iLife 10 or even 11?

It has been leaked that the 13 inch MacBook finally has been given the core i3 microprocessor, so that may spoil an announcement but surely won’t quell the talk about it at the event.

And who knows, there may even be something “magical”!